http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
AS WE ponder what induced Bill Clinton to pardon Marc Rich and
Pinky Green, a nonevent from the mid-1980s may help understand what
sort of man Rich is, and, in particular, his relationship to this country.

Round about 1984 (I may be off by a year or so, but the precise date is
not important), I was working as a consultant at the National Security
Council, and I was approached by a well-known Washington attorney
who told me he was representing Marc Rich. The attorney wanted to
know if there were anything Rich could do to bring an end to his criminal
status. I discussed the matter with some of my colleagues, and I later
suggested to the attorney that Rich might wish to contemplate performing
some kind of invaluable service to his country. "Like what?" the lawyer
asked.

Well, I said, we all know that Rich does business in some pretty
unsavory countries (one of his crimes was busting the embargo on
Iranian oil) that periodically did terrible things to us and our allies.
Depending on his access in those countries, he might well be able to
provide us with information that would help us defend our citizens and
those of allied countries against terrorist acts or other forms of
wickedness. While I obviously could not speak for the government,
there were historical precedents for granting pardons to people who
undertook dangerous missions in behalf of our national security. Just go
to the video store and watch The Dirty Dozen — the group of 12
criminals who embarked on a suicide mission during the Second World
War when promised freedom if they survived.

After some time, the attorney informed me that Rich was not interested
in that sort of thing; he would look for other ways to solve his problems.
Nearly 20 years later, he found a way.

Rich did not feel obliged to put himself at risk for his country, even
though he had blatantly and arrogantly violated its laws and sabotaged
efforts to put pressure on Iran while Tehran was holding hostage more
than 50 American diplomats and embassy staff. He just wanted to buy
his way out. One way he attempted this was on behalf of Israel: to pay
off the government of North Korea, in order to prevent the shipment of
missiles to Syria and other Israeli enemies in the Middle East. No matter
that the United States had asked Israel to refrain from any official
contact with North Korea.

There is a nasty appropriateness in Clinton's pardon of this wicked man,
for they are cut from the same corrupt material. Both repeatedly acted in
contempt of the national interest and the rule of law. Both put their own
personal comfort and satisfaction above the common good. Both
assumed that any problem could be "fixed," if only one were sufficiently
tenacious and patient, and brought enough resources to bear. Neither
was prepared to make a personal sacrifice to redeem himself; each felt
that money was payment enough.

That Clinton should issue the pardon on the same day his aides and
associates were trashing the White House, and the ex-president and his
wife were sacking Air Force One for goodies for their new homes,
nicely rounds out the picture of Clinton's
legacy.